Joe Strolz

General Manager, AOL Canada

Joe Strolz is General Manager, AOL Canada, Chair of the IAB Canada Board of Directors and a mentor with the American Marketing Association. AOL is a global media company with the mission to inform, entertain and connect with consumers, advertisers and publishers worldwide. As GM, Joe is responsible for the AOL Canada business including consumer brands such as The Huffington Post Canada, B2B brands such as AOL Platforms, advertising revenue, and consumer services. Joe is also responsible for executive management and people development.

With nearly 17 years in marketing, sales, and media, Joe has worked across the spectrum as client-side marketer, agency partner, and publisher/broadcaster. With roles based in most major Canadian cities, English and French Canada, and in London England, Joe has gained an appreciation for local market subtleties as they relate to national and global organizations. This broad experience has afforded Joe with a unique perspective on the business needs and challenges of contemporary marketers, and has seen him work with an impressive array of blue-chip brands including Microsoft, HP, Bell Canada, EDS, Deutsche Telekom, Motorola, and WPP.

Prior to AOL, Joe held the position of Vice President with Microsoft Advertising. Joe has also held positions at some of Canada’s largest digital publishers, including Canwest Media and Bell Canada.

Joe holds an Honors MBA in Strategic Management from the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia, and an Honours Bachelor of Public Relations from Mount Saint Vincent University. Joe currently resides in Toronto.

On July 26, after nine months of intense training, I completed Whistler's Ironman Canada - a journey that not only changed me personally, but also professionally.Here are five lessons I learned from (finally) achieving my dream.